#Office Supplies

Printer ink is one of the most expensive liquids on the planet. It costs more per milliliter than human blood, penicillin, or vintage Dom Pérignon. The business model of major printer manufacturers—HP, Epson, Canon, Brother—is the classic “razor and blade” strategy. They sell you the hardware at a loss and bankrupt you on the consumables. If you are buying your replacement cartridges at a supermarket or direct from the manufacturer, you are voluntarily paying a “convenience tax” that can amount to hundreds of pounds a year.

There is a distinct smell to a stationery shop. It’s a mix of crisp paper, graphite, and possibility. For many of us, walking into Ryman triggers a specific kind of nostalgia—memories of buying a geometry set for the first day of school or choosing that perfect fountain pen. But nostalgia doesn’t pay the rent. In an era dominated by Amazon’s next-day delivery and digital-first workflows, the classic high street stationer faces a tough question: Is it still relevant? Ryman has answered this by pivoting hard. They aren’t just selling biros anymore. They have morphed into a hybrid hub for remote workers, artists, and students who need physical solutions in a digital world.